FETISH = David Lynch/Christian Louboutin

I found FETISH aesthetic very interesting and many of my references (Marilyn Manson, Vivienne Westwood, NIN, Floria Sigismondi, Dita Von Teese...) have one day or another used it and interpreted their own way.

Therefore I am very happy to be posting about a fascinating collaboration between David Lynch and Christian Louboutin. The exhibition, simply entitled FETISH features David Lynch's pictures of Christian Louboutin's shoes, and will start from the 20th of September to the 20th of October 2007.

The show takes place at the Galerie du Passage whose director is Pierre Passebon in Paris. Paris, city of Toulouse-Lautrec, the city of hedonism and pleasure, the city of fashion and couture was the perfect setting for that exhibition.

David Lynch's universe seems to win over the one of David Louboutin, it looks obvious...or not...

Christian Louboutin says:
“David Lynch had asked me to draw shoes for his exhibition at the Cartier Foundation. He painted some of the shoes to show them in a cage. I wanted to ask him to photograph some of the shoes that I had designed in this for this particular project. David Lynch is one of the biggest movie maker alive. As his movies are extremely coded, I also wanted fetishist shoes. Those shoes would indeed follow those codes.
Many only see shoe as a functionnal accessory to be able walk. However, some are made to run, others to swim… Some are made for sex. If there is an element of fetishism in a wardrobe, it is the female shoe, even without stilettos. It has appearance of an indian totem.
It is an object of worship that lead to rituals. I had been thinking about shoe-sculptures, not made to be worn but to reveal what is the most beautiful: the curves of the feet. David Lynch gave me his agreement. He saw a sofa, roses, a lamp and a girl. He saw what I did not see. The image was already in his mind. The photographs were taken within two days in Paris.

To my surprise, David Lynch worked like a choreographer. He had the enthusiasm of a student from Art school, and the religious power of Pollock or Picasso. His images are endowed with a pictorial dimension: they remind me of Bellmer and Bacon, but also Boldini, in the way flesh is portrayed.
David had a requirement: “No bones”. The models are called Nouka and Baby, and dance for the Crazy Horse. As a fetishist of operetta, I chose them for their grace and their beauty, but also for their curves. Their very white skins, their very dark eyes and their brilliant mouths were added into the aesthetic of Lynch, which has sometimes fetishist accents: the lacerated body of Isabella Rosselini in Blue Velvet, or this atmosphere of anguish where blood is never shed. Or these curtains with symmetrical folds. David Lynch made as usual a populated landscape of shadows”.

FETISH : 20/09/2007 to 20/10/2007
Photographie
Pierre Passebon presents DAVID LYNCH (Photographies, 2007)/ CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN (Souliers, 2007)

www.galeriedupassage.com

Exhibition “MOSCOUPOLIS” at the LOUIS VUITTON GALLERY

Exhibition “MOSCOUPOLIS” at the LOUIS VUITTON GALLERY
21 September -31 December

up, Wall paintings by Valery Chtak,

down, objects from d'Alexandre Brodsky, © Louis Vuitton images

The city of Moscow will be honored at the Louis Vuitton gallery, from 21 September to 31 December.

Eleven Russian artists - Alexander Brodsky, Kirill Chelushkin, Valery Chtak, Olga Chernysheva, Alexeï Kallima, Valery Koshlyakov, Oleg Kulik, Pavel Pepperstein, Ksenia Peretrukhina, Stanislav Shuripa, Iced Architects - will present their works. Exploring the topic that is mutation, those emerging artists have been studying the changing of their capital.

From the 1st of September seven of them will invest the place and use it as a workshop where future artworks might be exhibited. Moscow the new city to be ? That is what some of those artists tried to show through various means : sculptures, glass artworks, photographies, all those materials to vary the pleasures.

An exhibition not to miss and that I had to talk about since I am half Russian...

Espace Louis Vuitton :
60, rue de Bassano / 101, avenue des Champs Elysées
75 008 Paris

More info on : http://www.louisvuitton.com/

Exclusive interview with Rachel Garrard.

This week I wanted to share the work of an interesting artist : Rachel Garrard.
Originally from Devon, she graduated from Central Saint Martins, where she studied women's wear.
Art and photography have always been of her interest. Over the last couple of years she has been working for Narciso Rodrigues, Alexander Mc Queen and Haider Ackermann, and has been commisioned to do various sculptures and paintings. In the future ? She hopes to produce a collection under her own label and showcase her installations.

How would you describe yourself and how would you describe your art ?
Anything I say about myself would also be relevant to my art. I consider them to be the same entity. My artwork is the direct physical representation of everything I think and feel. It is a diary of myself, and my journey as a creative being. A lot of my work is almost done subconsciously and I constantly understand new things about myself from looking at my work. I would describe myself as a questioner. I am hugely influenced and affected by everything that surrounds me, and I have to find a way of understanding it.

Do you feel that you belong more to the fashion universe or to the contemporary art world ? I would like to think that I do not have to be confined to either. As a creative person it is necessary to explore all outlets, and this may not fit into a single category. At the moment I am designing clothes, but the way I think and the way I work are as an artist.

Do you believe that frontiers exist between fashion and art ?
A lot of people like to say that boundaries between fashion and art no longer exist, but I would have to disagree. Fashion and Art have very different roles in society, and therefore are seen in a completely different light. Of course there are exceptions and some people do manage to combine both elements, but not without facing huge challenges.

What is the role of an artist in today’s world ?
To offer new ideas and explanations of the world around us.

What other artists, designers, fashion designer do you feel close to and why ?
Alberto Giacometti has been a hero of mine for a long time. There is a truth to his work that is very rare. The artists who I admire are those whose vision is so clear and profound that it has a lasting effect on your life. Whose entire lives are dominated by a constant questionning and drive to find a true understanding. Other artists I feel very close to are Naum Gabo, Mark Rothko. I would also like to include Friedrich Nietzsche and Trent Reznor.

Would you consider to do something else if you were not an artist ?
If I was not an artist I would need to have another outlet. I would probably consider going into music, writing, film or contemporary dance. I think being creative means that you have the ability to adapt your ideas into whichever medium is available.

Do you consider that “art is alive” ?
Definitely! Art is constantly growing and changing, being given new dimensions and interpretations by everyone that sees it. As long as art continues to affect people it will always be alive.

More info on: http://www.rachelgarrard.com/